The 5 Best Career Paths for Grads Following Graduation

Recent graduates often have a hard time finding career paths that suit their needs. It can take time to establish a strong resume and to decide on an ideal career path. There are, however, some career opportunities and paths that are more beneficial than others for recent graduates.

It is a common fear among college graduates that they will not be able to find a good job after they earn their degrees. It is certainly not easy for many post-grads to get a job that provides financial security and good career prospects just after having received their Masters degrees.

Source: Pixabay

There are career options that are more favorable to recent graduates than others. Deciding whether a job is right for you or not can also be difficult, however. Consider taking a career aptitude test free online or through a career planning service before starting your job search. This way, you will have a clearer idea of what careers might suit your skills and preferences. Once you’ve established your career goals, you can start seeking employment. The career paths listed below have been found to be more favorable for recent graduates, so they might be worth considering in this situation.

1. Event Planning Assistant or Meeting Assistant

This job is expected to have an increase in openings of more than 40 percent between now and 2020 so it’s bound to be the go-to option for many recent graduates. Although the median annual salary for an event planning assistant is low at first (about $38,492) there are other benefits to this job. There are many networking opportunities that come with working as a meeting assistant. Business travel is another one of the perks recent graduates can enjoy when starting a career in this field. As an event or meeting planning assistant, you will work alongside an event coordinator and help facilitate organizing gatherings and meetings. You will also act as a liaison between the clients and manage the delegated tasks that you receive from the coordinator.

A relatively small field at the moment, the public relations domain is expected to grow by more than 20 percent by 2020. This career also offers more versatility when seeking employment opportunities. Public relations specialists can choose to become self-employed or to start working for corporations instead. The median annual salary for a public relations specialist is $45.270 at the moment and there are many growth opportunities for graduates choosing to build a career path in this sector. As a public relations specialist, you work to promote awareness of a company, brand, or person. You also ensure that the public perception of the company or individual that you represent stays positive.

There is a staggering demand for accountants and financial auditors in the United States at the moment. The projected growth rate for this field of activity is 16 percent by the year 2020. A career in accounting or financial auditing provides a significant amount of job security because of the high demand for financial experts. The median annual salary for this position is $47.936 and there are career growth opportunities. The median annual salary for a certified public accountant, for example, is $60,978. As an accountant, you will be performing financial calculations in a wide variety of fields. Keeping balance sheets, managing budgets, and administering payroll can be some of the required tasks.

The number of employed teachers in the United States has been on the rise in recent years. More job openings are predicted by 2020 because of the number of older teachers expected to retire over the next few years. There is an important demand for elementary school teachers across the United States. Career paths in teaching offer stability and growth opportunities equivalent to additional qualifications that can be obtained throughout the years of experience to come. The median annual salary for an elementary school teacher is $41.706. As a teacher, you will be educating students in grades one through six. You will have the opportunity to cover several subjects and teach students the fundamental notions for a wide variety of disciplines.

The number of individuals who choose this career path is expected to increase by 22 percent by the year 2020. Becoming an insurance sales agent does not require a bachelor’s degree, only a high-school diploma is needed. But a recent study has found that up to one third of insurance sales agents working in the United States at the moment do have bachelor’s degrees. The median annual salary for an insurance sales agent is $35.608, but the number can vary greatly depending on the payment scheme each insurance company offers for its employees. As some agents have more rewarding bonus schemes than others, many insurance sales agents have higher incomes that the average base salary in this field.

Note: numeric data presented in this post has been obtained via the BLS (Bureau for Labor Statistics).